A Darker Shade of Sorcery - - (leveled readers .txt) 📗

detention (which was seriously unfair), she had to walk home alone today.

Brooke would've never thought walking home alone would have scared her, especially with the sun shining in a cerulean sky.

But still, the feeling of unseen eyes plagued her.

She was alone on the sidewalk, which was weird for California. If she squinted, she could see a few figures on the beach far to her right, but that was it. Other than the warm winds rifling through her chestnut hair, everything was still.

As she turned the corner, her heart jolted as someone stepped out onto the opposite path. The road was wide and she couldn’t make him out clearly, but Brooke could've sworn she saw him exhale purple smoke.

He was a young guy, around her age, and he was looking right at her. All she could make out was that he was blond, slim, and held a curious object from which the purple smoke rose. They made eye contact and a brilliant smile unfurled across his face. Brooke felt herself flush as he winked at her.

The stranger took a step toward her, but then something barrelled into Brooke from behind. She screamed instinctively.

“What the hell!”

Her best friend was the culprit, giggling that famous laugh of hers, reminiscent of an over-excited piglet.

“I got you so good, B.”

Brooke glared at Kate before turning back to look for the boy. He was gone, but a thin trail of purple smoke still hung in the air where he’d stood.

27

“What you looking at?”

Kate peered over her shoulder, smiling like a moron.

“I just saw a hot guy. I think he was smiling at me.”

“Oooh! And now he’s run away?” Kate laughed.

“Yeah, he probably saw you coming.”

Kate shoved her playfully. “A good thing too, guys are all jerks.”

“Yeah, you won't be saying that next week, bimbo.” Brooke shoved her back as they walked.

“Says you. Johnny was drooling over your ‘luxurious golden legs’ again and fantasising about your ‘voluptuous lips’”

“He actually said that?” Brooke snorted.

“Yeah, he had a thesaurus for his English work. I doubt Johnny knew the word voluptuous beforehand. He mentioned your ‘colossal’ amber eyes as well. Anyway, I didn’t find you to talk about boys, for once.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Party. Tonight. Be there,” Kate ordered.

“Could you be a little more specific?”

“There’s this epic warehouse rave, not far from here. Like, everyone's going. It’s going to be amazing,” said Kate as they stopped outside Brooke’s house.

“How’re we going to get in?”

Kate looked at her slyly. “Dress sexy. It shouldn’t be too hard with your wardrobe.”

“Oi, you usually tell me I dress like a boy.”

“Just pick something cute,” said Kate. “Don’t waste time playing those stupid games instead.”

28

“Shoot-‘em up games aren’t stupid,” Brooke argued.

“Whatever, I’ll text you tonight’s details when I know more.”

“See ya’.” Brooke grinned.

As usual, nobody noticed her enter the house.

Her dad was in front of the TV, beer in hand, like she knew there would be. She passed her sisters on the way to her bedroom but neither of them said a word. Brooke was used to it.

While she might be popular at school, she was a loner at home. She would've given anything for things to be the other way around. Her two older sisters had the run of the house, as her mom was always working abroad. Her mother was Puerto Rican and spent most of her time there. Mary only had time for her boyfriend and had barely acknowledged Brooke in weeks. Dana didn’t speak to Brooke at all, just shouted at their father.

While her mom was a workaholic and barely ever in the house, her dad was a borderline alcoholic who spent all his time in front of the TV.

Brooke was eternally grateful for the escape school and her friends offered. Things would be different if Adam was around.

Brooke ignored the voice in the back of her mind. Yes, things would've been different if Adam was still here, but they would've been worse too. Her brother hadn’t ignored Brooke the way the rest of her family did, but everyone was forbidden to speak about Adam now, as if he'd never existed at all.

She entered her room, glancing at the walls filled with pictures and souvenirs of the past sixteen years of her life. She glimpsed the portrait Johnny had drawn of her last year. Although he’d missed out her big ears and the scar Adam had given her which made her forever look like she had a split lip.

29

A smile broke across Brooke’s face when she glanced at the collage of her friends.

But it soured when she heard dad and Dana yelling at each other downstairs.

She slunk down on her bed and checked her cell; a message and four missed calls from her ex, Ryan, accompanied by two texts from Johnny. She ignored them both.

Ryan was too possessive when they were together, whilst Johnny had cheated on his past two girlfriends and she didn't fancy being the third.

Contemplating the stupidity of boys, Brooke threw her cell back on the bed and turned to her computer, quickly checking her emails. Half an hour later, a message window popped up with Kate’s name on it: Hey B. Get over to mine, now xxx.

Smiling, Brooke got dressed, applied a little make-up, made sure her hair covered her ears, and was ready to go.

She passed Mary again on the stairs, but her sister was on the phone and didn’t even look at her. Brooke popped into the living room to tell her dad where she was going.

He only grunted, muttering unintelligibly.

“Okay dad, don’t stay up,” she called as she opened the door.

He grunted once again. Sighing, Brooke set off into the night. The feeling of unseen watchers and the mysterious blond boy, was far from her mind.

*

The three hunters stood silent and sentinel, watching from the shadows for the one they sought. The writhing mass of humanity jostled one another in their hurry to enter the warehouse.

30

“Her,” Lok said, pointing at a provocatively dressed girl as he exhaled purple smoke.

Arantay smiled and replied, his voice velvet soft, “No, Lok. As much as you would want it to be, no.”

“Perhaps she’s already inside?” Tyrell said.

“Let us find out,” Arantay rasped, his eyes flashing crimson.

*

The deafening music pumped in time to the rhythm of her heart. Green, red, yellow and blue lights shone and flashed all around, illuminating people one moment, throwing them into darkness the next.

Brooke danced wildly to the techno music booming through the warehouse. Her friends were beside her, but she could barely see them through the press of bodies.

Brooke was oblivious to everything as she moved with the flow of the crowd. The bright lights blurred as she spun her head from side to side. Her vision swam, the room was spinning. Maybe she'd drunk too much earlier.

She'd never felt better. She felt alive.

The music pulsed, the crowd writhed, and Brooke danced.

*

The three men entered the warehouse.

The other patrons couldn’t help but notice the newcomers, and all who saw them couldn’t help but stare, particularly at their leader.

31

The three separated, filing through the sweat-filmed dancers as they attempted to find the one they sought. Arantay wrinkled his nose, using heightened senses to find her. As expected it was mainly humans inside, however some moonlight races secretly moved amongst them. The whiff of werewolf lingered in the air, kitsune too.

Finally, Arantay laid eyes on their target.

*

The music increased in volume and tempo, drowning out everything else. The tide of pumped-up partygoers took Brooke in their current. The multicoloured floor was alive with flailing limbs, sweat drenched hair, and wild cries of delight and laughter that could scarcely be heard through the thunderous music.

Brooke whirled, no longer knowing nor caring where her friends had gone. She recognised none of the faces screaming and shouting around her. The chaotic spinning stopped and one face came into focus, standing out in sharp contrast.

He was the most exquisite creature Brooke had ever seen. He barely resembled a human at all. He was beauty incarnate, yet not beauty as she had ever seen it before.

Hair the shade of blood cascaded to his shoulders, framing a striking, ceramic face.

A thin shirt clung to a body made of porcelain, accentuating his tall and slim figure.

He appeared both masculine and feminine, both incredibly youthful and terribly ancient.

He was looking for something, she was sure. He stood still, but his eyes darted from place to place. His head snapped around and Brooke realised with a jolt he was staring right at her.

32

A thrill shot through her body as she met his inhuman gaze and she reeled back, whether from the alcohol or the sheer ferocity of his stare she didn’t know.

When Brooke managed to regain her composure, he was gone. She stared hard at the spot where he’d stood, but he was nowhere in sight.

She didn’t know whether it was beer goggles that made the strange boy look so attractive, or the whole thing was a figment of her imagination. She laughed at her own stupid thoughts.

Brooke looked around in anxiously, aware of her own desperate want to see the boy again. What made his skin so pale? Those eyes! He must’ve been wearing contact lenses.

She realised she was hurrying, craning her neck over the crowd, trying to get another glimpse of the scarlet-haired stranger.

Miraculously, she spotted him again. He was leaning against the far wall, staring at her. Brooke felt a surge of delight. What was going on? When had a boy ever had this effect on her? She felt compelled, an irrepressible need to go after him. As she started to walk, he smiled at her brilliantly. Crimson lips parted to reveal bright white teeth, too sharp for a human mouth.

She walked faster.

Still smiling, the stranger opened a side door and disappeared into the night.

Without a thought Brooke followed, unaware of the strangers who stalked out after her.

A terrible feeling enveloped her when she thought she’d lost him, but then she spotted him again at the end of the street, beckoning her to follow.

How had he moved to the end of the street so fast?

She hurried after him, running now.

33

The ferocious booming from inside the warehouse faded to a dull pounding as Brooke and the enigmatic stranger moved further and further away.

The street lamps flickered and then dimmed, like dying fireflies, and the streets surrendered to darkness.

He turned into a small alleyway then froze, apparently waiting for her to catch up.

An uncontrollable urge propelled Brooke to follow.

She wanted to meet this beautiful stranger, to hear the sound of his voice, to see if his eyes were really that red.

He stood, immersed in the shadows like a startling phantom, a ghost with glowing embers for eyes.

A wave of panic washed over her and she felt the icy hand of fear clutch at